Sharing the stories of those affected by Autoimmune disease

RA

As the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for the COVID-19 disease continues to infect people and claim lives across the globe, scientists and medical professionals are learning more about its impact on patients.

One interesting phenomenon that’s been observed is that some coronavirus patients experience relatively mild to moderate symptoms, while others experience severe, life-threatening problems that can land them in the ER. According to Sharp Health News, the virus itself may not be entirely to blame for this, but rather, an overreaction by the body’s immune system.

When a foreign agent, such as a virus, invades your body, your immune cells secrete cytokines, which are molecules that initiate an immune response. However, in some cases, immune cells continue to secrete cytokines, even after a sufficient immune response has been mounted. This is called a ‘cytokine storm’ and the overproduction of these molecules can cause a harmful inflammatory response in the body.

Certain people are more susceptible to cytokine storms than others; for example, there is evidence that those with genetic mutations in their immune cells are more vulnerable. According to creakyjoints.org, those with autoimmune conditions often have abnormally high levels of these cytokines, which is why autoimmune patients often take immune-suppressing medications. However, a cytokine storm isn’t the same as an autoimmune disease flare, though they can be related.

As detailed by creakyjoints.org, some autoimmune patients end up with cytokine storms unrelated to COVID-19. Dr. Randy Cron, a pediatric rheumatologist and author of the book Cytokine Storm Syndromecommented, “About 10% of patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis will experience [a cytokine storm]; in some cases, multiple times.”

With regards to COVID-19, which is respiratory in nature, a cytokine storm can gravely impact a patient. Acute lung injury (ALI) is a common consequence of a cytokine storm occurring in the lungs, and if a lung infection is severe, the inflammation will spread to the rest of the body via one’s blood circulation and cause sepsis. In some cases, the immune response to an infection can even be deadly.

That’s why it’s important to ‘calm the storm’ and prevent a cytokine storm before it even happens. One type of treatment being explored for COVID-19 is hydroxychloroquine, which is an antiviral and immunosuppressant drug used to treat malaria and autoimmune diseases like lupus, rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and Sjogren’s. Although the medication is still undergoing clinical trials, many are hopeful that this drug will serve as a treatment to halt the progression of COVID-19.

Besides pharmaceutical therapies, Sharp Health News cites curcumin, a compound found in turmeric, as beneficial for its anti-inflammatory properties. A 2015 study states that in lab experiments, researchers found that curcumin blocked the release of the cytokines that are responsible for inflammation.

All in all, it’s important for autoimmune patients to guard against the coronavirus by adhering to strict hygiene guidelines, such as hand washing thoroughly with soap and water, avoiding close contact with others, and disinfecting surfaces routinely. Remember, prevention is the best form of treatment, and can help those with autoimmune disease to avoid a damaging cytokine storm.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the globe, young patients with autoimmune disease and other chronic illnesses are using the hashtag #HighRiskCovid19 to raise awareness about their conditions.

Although many media outlets and government officials have stated that young individuals need not worry about the coronavirus, and that it’s primarily older individuals who are the most at risk, immunocompromised young people are telling their own story. Whether they take immunosuppressants for their condition, or are at risk due to the nature of their chronic illness, these patients are asking their peers to keep them in mind when they consider venturing out instead of remaining in self-isolation.

Brittania, a 20-year old young woman from Jamaica, tweeted: ‘Hi, I’m 20 and I have Systemic Lupus Erythmatosus (SLE)/Lupus Nephritis. I take immunosuppressants to keep my body from attacking itself. I’m amongst those who have to self-isolate to stay healthy for a majority of this year. So please keep me/others in mind when you think you ‘can’t stay in’.

Sarah Elliott, from San Francisco, California, added: ‘I have multiple sclerosis (MS) and take an immunosuppressant drug for it. I also have severe asthma and take a controller medication as well. I have 2 kids and I would love to watch them grow up. Please help protect us!’

Nancy Mendoza, an autoimmune patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), also tweeted: ‘I’ve been on immunosuppressing meds for 15 years for rheumatoid arthritis. Stay home. Flatten the curve. People like me are depending on you.’

Others decided to use the trending hashtag to raise awareness on behalf of a loved one with a chronic illness. A man from Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada, for example, implored: ‘This is my wife. She is on immunosuppressive infusion therapy battling ulcerative colitis and rheumatoid arthritis. She is among the high risk during this COVID-19 pandemic. I’m putting a face to the most vulnerable. TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY.’

Personally, I am also taking greater precautions as the coronavirus spreads further into our communities, since I take immunosupressant medication for Sjogren’s Syndrome and Hidradenitis Suppurativa. I also have asthma, which puts me at a greater risk for serious pulmonary complications, like pneumonia, since the virus is respiratory in nature. Thankfully, I’m able to work remotely, limiting my exposure to others, and my husband has taken on any duties that require us to set foot outside, including grocery shopping.

Do you or someone you love have an autoimmune disease, and are therefore at a greater risk for complications associated with the coronavirus? If so, please comment below and let us know how you’re handling this public health scare as a #HighRiskCovid19 patient.

Lisa Diven was a 23-year old athlete and recent university graduate when she first began what would become a long battle against chronic illness. Armed with a degree in mechanical engineering, she was ready to take on the world. Her health, however, had other plans.

Lisa was running 10 miles a day in preparation for a marathon race when she began to experience pain in her foot. Thinking that it was just a stress fracture, she avoided seeing a doctor until the pain worsened. When she finally did see her physician, he also thought it was just a stress fracture. Six months later, however, the pain had gotten even worse, and Lisa was forced to see a Rheumatologist, who diagnosed her with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease causing painful inflammation in one’s joints.

Although Lisa was relieved to put a name to her pain, she encountered another uphill battle. As a result of step therapy, her medical insurance required her to use less expensive treatments to prove they didn’t work until she could take the more expensive biologic medications that her doctor recommended. Consequently, Lisa was forced to take medications for six months, during which time her symptoms worsened and she experienced irreversible joint damage. Once Lisa finally started taking the biologics, her symptoms began to improve.

For the next 10 years of her life, rheumatoid arthritis continued to ravage Lisa’s every joint. Though she was able to control the disease with treatment, pain was still a major aspect of her life.

Eventually, Lisa and her husband decided to start a family. Due to the high-risk nature of the pregnancy, Lisa went to a high-risk obstetrics practice. Though she got through the pregnancy okay, she experienced a massive flare three months post delivery, and the medications that she had used with success previously no longer worked. She lost her appetite and lost weight, and she experienced migraines, vertigo, anxiety and depression. Lisa was forced to go on an extended medical leave, and later left her job completely. After seeing various specialists, Lisa was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), another autoimmune disease that causes widespread damage to the body’s vital organs, skin and joints.

Lisa is now being actively treated for lupus, all while controlling her existing RA symptoms. She is happy to report that she finally feels like she is returning to being ‘herself’ again. One of the things that helped Lisa the most was connecting with other patients through the Arthritis Foundation, through which she later started a local support group to help others living with the disease. These days, Lisa feels healthy more often than sick, and given her tumultuous health history, that’s a win she’ll take.

To read more about Lisa’s battle with autoimmune disease, visit healthywomen.org.